Hi Reader

The Humans vs Retirement podcast passed through 150,000 downloads this week! According to some research I did, that puts the show in the top 3% in the world... Mind blown!

Huge thanks to everyone who’s tuned in, shared an episode, or simply told a mate, “You’ve got to listen to this bloke talking about retirement like it’s real life.”
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Here’s to the next 150,000... and to helping even more people retire with purpose and live with joy.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Memories Are The New ROI

When most people plan for retirement, they focus on the usual suspects - pensions, tax, cashflow, investments. But here’s a radical idea, maybe what really deserves your planning attention isn’t your money… but your memories.

Because when you think about it, your memories are your ultimate return on investment - the emotional dividends that keep paying long after the experiences themselves have ended.

Let’s call this Retirement Memory Planning, a conscious choice to spend your time and money on experiences that create memories rich enough to shape who you are, how you feel, and what you value most in later life.

Why Memories Matter More Than Money

Research consistently shows that spending on experiences brings more lasting happiness than spending on material things. In a landmark study by Thomas Gilovich at Cornell University, participants reported that while the happiness from buying “stuff” fades quickly, the joy from experiences grows over time. Why? Because experiences become part of our identity. They’re the stories we tell, the bonds we build, the mental highlight reel we replay.

Even neuroscience backs this up - when we recall meaningful experiences, our brains release dopamine and oxytocin, the very chemicals that make us feel alive, connected, and content.

In short: memories appreciate in emotional value, while things depreciate in a drawer.

The Science of Memory and Happiness

Pioneering behavioural psychologist Daniel Kahneman famously distinguished between the experiencing self and the remembering self. The experiencing self lives in the moment - it enjoys the holiday, the dinner, the walk. The remembering self, however, decides whether life was well lived. It’s the remembering self that shapes our life satisfaction, and that’s the version of us that retirement should be planned for.

That means building a memory-rich retirement isn’t indulgent... it’s scientifically smart.

What Kind of Memories Matter Most

Not all memories are created equal. Some fade, others define us. Here’s what the research (and decades of observing real retirees) tells us about the kinds that last:

1. Shared Memories - Experiences that involve other people tend to be more emotionally charged and enduring. Relationships are the memory glue of life. (Think: trips with family, reunions with old friends, mentoring younger generations.)
2. Challenging Memories - Doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone creates a sense of growth and pride that sticks. (Climbing that mountain, performing on stage, learning Italian at 65.)
3. First-Time Memories - Novelty fuels dopamine. The first time you do something new, your brain imprints it more vividly. (A new country, a new hobby, even a new morning routine can qualify.)
4. Meaningful Memories - Experiences that align with your values, purpose, or sense of contribution bring the deepest fulfilment. (Volunteering, creating, giving back, building something that outlives you.)

These are the moments that shape the story of your life, and you have to design them intentionally.

Why This Requires Actual Planning

Just as we plan financially for our later years, we should budget for memories. Because memories aren’t free, they cost time, energy, and money. Without a plan, it’s easy to let comfort, inertia, or “someday” thinking rob you of your best experiences.

So think of your retirement planning like this:

• Your financial plan funds your future.
• Your memory plan fills your future.

Each year, set aside a memory fund: a pot of time and money dedicated purely to creating moments that matter. Label it what you like - The Memory Dividend Account, The Experience Budget, or even The Play Fund, but treat it as sacred.

A Simple Exercise

Ask yourself these three questions:

1. What are the top five memories I want to create in the next five years?
2. Who do I most want to create them with?
3. What’s stopping me from starting this year?

Then, for each one, attach a rough budget - not just of money, but of time and intention.

The Bottom Line

In the end, the best return on your retirement investment won’t show up on a portfolio statement. It’ll live in the stories you tell, the laughter you share, the photos on your wall, and the feeling you get when you think, “I actually lived.”

So, as you plan for retirement, don’t just plan for income, tax, and investments.

Plan for the memories that will make your life worth remembering.

Challenge of the Week

Start your Retirement Memory Plan by writing down one experience you’ll create before the year ends, something you’ll be glad to look back on 10 years from now. Then put it in your diary. Because memories don’t just happen, they’re made.​​

PODCAST

Ep 93 - Your Retirement Plan is a Lie (but You Still Need One)

No plan survives contact with real life, especially not a 30-year retirement plan. This week, I reveal why most plans fail, what a Living Plan really looks like, and how to turn your spreadsheet into a compass, not a cage. Listen in now ​​​​

SKETCH OF THE WEEK

The Fragile Decade

The five years before and and five years after retirement are what I call The Fragile Decade... and for good reason. The five before are tough because you’re deep in decisions: pensions, taxes, timelines, identity, purpose, all the planning that feels more like emotional heavy lifting than number crunching. Then come the five after, when you actually have to live the life! That’s when the real work begins: adapting to unstructured time, redefining who you are without the job title, and learning the new skill of spending your money and your time wisely. Get through this decade with intention, and your second half of life becomes a whole lot richer.

IN OTHER NEWS

What I've Read This Week

• The Wrinkle in Time: Laughing Our Way Through Aging - LivingWell
• Helen Mirren, 80, Says Aging Is a 'Beautiful Thing': 'F--- it, I'm Alive' - People

Spreading The Message

• I was a guest on the Albemarle Street Partners Wisdom Shared Podcast, where I discussed how I encourage people to take ownership of their retirement decisions and why retirees should consider meaningful spending as well as preservation. Take a listen in here
• I was delighted to partner with Standard Life Ireland to deliver 3 workshops on The Five Pillars of a Thriving Retirement, equiping more people with the tools to be able to plan and live their best second half of life